We are One
by Artz001
Summary: Piper a normal teen; with the struggles of a drunk father and a drugged mother. After her father abuses Piper, the teen flees with her little sister to the junkyard, where she's cornered by deceptions. Rescued by Bumblebee, the girls just might find a new future with Team Prime. Piper can only be so strong. And Bumblebee will show her what it means to be apart of a family.
1. Chapter 1

The town of Jasper lay still in the autumn evening. At 10pm on a Thursday, not much really went on anyway. Not even the stores of the sleepy town ere still open. Which meant no escape for one particular person and her terrified sister.

The eldest daughter in the household pushed her much younger sister into their shared bedroom, locking the door behind them. The 18-year-old turned to the big, brown watery eyes of the five-year-old. The child let out a quiet whimper, to which the oldest shushed gently.

"Keep quiet," she hushed, stroking the mess of dirty blonde hair behind her. "We don't want them to hear us."

The child nodded, clinging to the tattered old teddybear in her arms. Both girls winced at the muffled sound of yelling and fighting from down stairs. Cautiously, the eldest ushered her sister to the bed pressed by the window. Tucking her in, the eldest barely heard the terrified whisper of her sister.

"Why do they fight so much?"

She could list may reasons to her sister; their dad lost his job about three years ago, and was caught on an alcoholic spin. When he was drunk, he often forgot where he was, or who he was with, resulting in these fights. Their mother also played a role, however, and wasn't without blame. She worked long days at the hospital just trying to keep the family afloat. Stress from the job and raising a family was taking it's toll. There had been few times the teen had snuck into the kitchen for a glass of milk and found her mother awake at the table, in an absolute mess while taking some crazy looking pills. The teen didn't want to know what she was on, but what ever it was caused her mother to go out of whack. The teenager looked back ar her sister, seeing a small tear running down her cheek. The teen sighed. How do you answer a question so complex to an innocent little girl, to afraid to go to sleep?

The eldest gently ran her fingers through her sister's curly hair in an attempt to soothe the child's fears. "It's hard to explain, Chloe," the teen sat on the edge of the bed as she continued to pet her sister's head. "There are many reasons why people fight."

"But why do Mommy and Daddy fight so much?"

The teen hesitated before answering with a small smile. "Because they are having a contest to see whose loudest. I think Dad's winning."

Chloe giggled quietly and snuggled deeper into her bed. The teen gently kissed the child's Chloe's forehead.

"Sleep well, Chloe."

"Night, night, Piper!" Chloe murmured, falling into a deep, restful sleep.

Piper sighed and brushed her sandy-colored hair out of her bright green eyes. She rose from her sister's bed and toward her cluttered desk and sat down. Snapping on a dim desk light, Piper began to tinker with the metal scrap and tools that covered her work area. She had always had a knack for mechanics, even when she was Chloe's age. For years, Piper would take apart action toys that made noises, lit up, or moved and put them back together. She was often enlisted to fix other household appliances. It was a gift, her father always said.

But then he turned to the bottle.

Now a days, all Piper ever heard from him was how worthless she, and her mother, were. Many things came into the light after drinking began, including the fact that her father had wanted a son. Instead, he got Piper.

The teen sighed and sat a wrench down, gently pinching the bridge of her nose. She listened to the light of breathing of her sister and closed her eyes. After both of her parents went "crazy" as Chloe put it, Piper had taken to caring for the younger child. Because of this, the two were very close. Piper was the one who taught Chloe how to talk properly, spell her name, and simply to be a child, which meant sacrificing her life as a a teenager. Chloe being in Kindergarden was a lot easier now. Piper didn't have to worry about leaving her kid sister home alone. With a drugged up mother and a drunken father.

The teen snapped her eyes open and stared at the solid cube she had been tinkering with. When finished, she hoped to be able to sell it, maybe make a few bucks to help out around the house. All she had to do was screwing a couple of bolts, attach some wires, and she should be done.

Piper reached at her desk for her small screwdriver, only to discover it missing. Despratly, but quietly, she began to search for the tool with no avil. Then it hit her; she had to repair the blender tonight. And the tool was left downstairs.

Where her parents were still yelling.

Piper hesitated. Was her project worht rsing another run in with her cranky parents? She was so close to finishing the cube she could feel it. Glancing back at the project before her, a feeling of anger began to burn. She shouldn't be afraid of her yelling parents. After all, if she stayed out of their way there wouldn't be trouble. Quietly she rose from her seat and opened the door, winceing when it creaked a little bit. When Piper heard her parents continue to argue, she slipped out quietly and down the stairs. Catching a glimps of her father, she sighed. His dark brown hair was shaggy and a mess. He sported a five o'clock shadow also. Swaying as he yelled, he swung a bottle toward her mother, who was thin, blonde, pale, and sporting angry, bloodshot eyes. What ever drugs she had been taking had clearly worn off. Another flash of anger struck Piper when she heard her mother screaming back. How could her family come to this?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Piper slowly slipped into the kitchen, grabbing the yellow-handled tool in a flash. As she crept out of the kitchen she ran smack dab into her father. It was then she realized that no yelling had occurred for at least a minute. Angry dark eyes glared at her as she tried to simply walk passed him. Piper quickly found herself grabbed harshly by the arm and pulled back into his face.

"Where are you going?" slurred words growled, the smell of booze heavy on his breath. Piper suddenly felt fear building up, but answered calmly.

"Dad, it's me, Piper. I just came downstairs for my screwdriver. I'll be heading to bed now."

In his disoriented state, her father flung Piper backwards. The teen landed on her side She tried to sit up, but the instant she did she was kicked in her ribcage, sending her back on the floor. Piper hissed in pain, tears prickling her eyes.

"You think you can just do whatever you want, don't you?!" her father's voice roared.

Piper supressed a whimper. Swallowing her fear, she muttered, "I'm sorry."

"You damn well ought to be," her father took another ssig of the Whisky. Piper slowly rose to her knees, trying to catch her breath. Just as she was about to stand, her father whipped around and landed a powerful punch to Piper's right cheek. The teen was down on the floor again, vision blured with un-shed tears.

"And let that teach you some respect," her father spat harshly. He stepped around her, heading toward the door. No doubt he was going to the bar again.

Piper waited until she heard his truck pull out of the driveway and speeding down the road before she made a move. Once she could no longer hear the vehicle, Piper tried to get to her feet, pausing briefly on her knees. Her head was swimming from the force of his fist, and she felt like she had a busted rib. Using the wall, she supported herself as she made her way toward the livingroom. Peering in, she discovered her mother had passed out on the couch. Sighing, Piper eased her way back upstairs and toward the bathroom. When she got inside, she noticed a nasty red mark on her face. It was already starting to bruise. Piper deiceded she didn't want to look at her chest, for fear of what she might find. Quietely, she crept inato the shared bathroom, being careful not to wake Chloe, and snapped the desk light off. She placed the screwdriver she had worked hard to retrieve on her desk before crawling into bed. As she struggled to get comfortable, Piper began to listen to the light breathing of her sister.

 _"This is no place for her,"_ Piper thought sadly. Not knowing what to do, Piper shifted a final time before wiping a tear that threated to fall. She couldn't break. Chloe needed her to be strong.

God knows her parents wouldn't be. And with that, Piper drifted off into a restless sleep.

Piper's eyes snapped open. She could tell it was early morning; light barely shone through the window. The teen groaned at the pain in her chest and head, last night's events making its way into her memory. Wincing, Piper eased herself on her side to look at her clock. She groaned again when the red numbers flashed 5:30. She willed herself to slowly sit up, wincing at the sudden pain in her ribcage. Piper glanced at her sister, finding the child still asleep in her bed. Sighing with relif, the teen slipped her feet out from her covers and shuffled toward the door. Noticing the bathroom epty, Piper walked and and started the shower. As she cast her pajama top off, Piper caught a glimps of herself in the mirror and supressed a shriek. Her right cheek and eye had turned dark purple-black left ribs were also the same shades. Piper's right upper arm sported five small bruises, right were her father had grabbed her. The teen took a moment to take in the batter sight. It was going to be hard to explain this to Chloe, if she saw. Or anyone in school for that matter.

Slowly, Piper eased into the warm water, wincing the moment the water touched a bruise. As she gingerly bathed she tried to think of something to tell her sister when she saw it. Finding no sutible answer, Piper thought of the next best thing. Hid them. Snapping the water off, the teen quickly dried off and dressed. Wearing a long, light green long sleeved shirt, Piper added a short, loose, gray T-shirt over that. Black leggings and a belt with a pouch completed the look. Now for her face.

Piper stared at the sad reflection in the mirror. Carefully, she opened the medicine cabnet and took out her makeup. She normally reserved makeup for special occasions, but she could make an exception for today.

Dabing foundation all over her face, she tried to cover as much of the bruise as possible. Cover up, powder, her flesh-colored eye shadow, she worked for ten minutes to perfect the look. When she was done, she was pleased to see that it look like nothing had happened to her. Though to be safe, she decided to keep her long bangs over the right half of her face for today, the rest held back by a black headband. Smiling at her work, she cleaned up her mess and went downstairs.

Her mother was gone; she started work much earlier than this. Piper felt her blood run cold when she saw her father passed out in his large chair snoring loudly. Sighting, she snuck into the kitchen and quickly set out supplies for pancakes. It was Chloe's favorite breakfast, and Piper wasn't about to let her sister's mood be spoiled by the events of last night.

It was 6:30 when Piper had finished and once done she went up to wake Chloe. The five-year-old opened her eyes the moment Piper opened the door. Smiling, Chloe jumped out of bed and tackled her sister in a hug.

"Morning, Piper!"

Piper bit her tongue at the pain she felt in her ribs, but didn't deny the hug her sister gave her.

"Morning, Chloe," Piper forced a smile. "Hurry and shower up. I've got breakfast made."

Ten minutes later, a dressed, wet-haired child bounded to the kitchen table. The sister ate together, Piper listening to Chloe's chattering. Saddness crept into the teen; she wished her whole family could be here for this.

After breakfast, Piper did the dishes up while Chloe got her back-pack ready. Piper then helped brush her sister's curly hair, Chloe complaining that it wasn't straight like the teens. Then Piper finished getting her messenger bag ready before the girls left the house, their father still snoring in his chair.

Chloe held Piper's hand and skipped most of the way to the elementary school. Piper kissed her sister's forehead, saying she'd pick her up after school. Once Chloe was inside, Piper sighed before trudging across the street to her highschool.

Students crowded the halls as Piper entered the school. Taking a deep breath, the teen gathered her courage and trudged to her locker. Five minutes before the bell, Piper grabbed the books she needed for her first two classes before weaving her way through the cluster of teens and teachers. While she had no friends here, she knew the school bullies liked to linger in the halls. And today, she wasn't in the mood to tangle with them.

Her first two classes passed slowly, Piper barely hanging on to the lessons of the day. She was too engrossed in her thoughts of the previous night. She knew Chloe couldn't stay there any longer. It was one thing to have her parents yelling around the child. It was another for potential violence to break loose. Pretending to write down notes, she listed possibilities she could do for Chloe. By first break, she had a solution, at least for the weekened.

A camping trip.

While not the most elegant solution, she knew it would be best for Chloe and her to get out for a while. But where would they camp? Racing her brains for a solution, she was jolted from her thoughts when a loud bang of the locker next to hers rang through her ears.

"Where are you going, princess?"

Piper silently swallowed, blood turning to ice as the school bully, Vince, grinned at her, an evil glint in his eye.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm thinking that you and I should hang out," he replied smoothly. "I was thinking you and I could chill after school for a while."

"Can't. Sorry," Piper quickly shut her locker and turned to leave. The teen suddenly felt her back pressed hard into the lockers as Vince pinned her there, anger burning in her eyes.

"Look, princess," he snarled. "I don't just ask anyone out you know. So you and I will be having a date tonight. Dinner, a movie, and maybe a drive into the desert."

Piper's heard sank. She had heard rumors of Vince taking girls out and having his way with them. Masking her fear quickly, she glared at him.

"I said, I'm busy, Vince."

Vince slammed his fist into the locker by her head, causing Piper to jump.

"I said, you are going to be there. End of -."

"Leave her be, Vince."

Piper turned her head to see a boy walk up to them. Black shaggy hair and blue eyes glared daggers at the bully. Vince released his pin on Piper and walked up to him.

"You stay out of this, Darby."

The boy scoffed and crossed his arms. "I will. As long as you leave her alone. She already said no; don't make me get the teachers involved again like last time."

Vince snarled at the teen before turning toward Piper. "This isn't over," he growled quietly before pushing past the boy. Piper let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and straightened herself away from the lockers. Before she could turn to leave, she heard the boy speak.

"You okay?"

Piper glanced at him. Nodding silently, he heard her chuckle. It wasn't evil or threatening. It was a warm, true chuckle. It made Piper uneasy.

"I'm sorry about Vince. He can be a real pain sometimes. You're Piper, right?"

Piper nodded again, clinging to the books in her arms.

"I'm Jack. Jack Darby," the boy extened his hand out. Flinching briefly, Piper lightly shook it, mentally kicking herself for being frightened of the guy who had saved her from a bad night on the town.

"Thank you," Piper finally found her voice as she gripped her books tighter.

"No problem," Jack smiled kindly. "Hey, I think we have Algebra 2 together. Mrs. Lewiston, right?" Piper nodded. Jack grinned. "Let me walk you there. Just to make sure Vince isn't just waiting for you."

Piper smiled at the kind offer, glad to finally find a friendly face. While she was sure he would ditch her when the entered the class, Piper was surprised to see he sat next to her. The passed notes back and forth all class, silently getting to know one another. It turned out Jack rode a motorcycle to school, lived only with his mom, and had no siblings. Piper recalled seeing Jack many times hanging out with the japanese exchange student with pink hair. Her name was Miko, she found out. They also hung out with the youngest kid in school. Some genius kid named Raf. Piper told Jack of her family, leaving the abuse and yelling out of the picture. They "talked" about cars, mechanics (Jack claimed he had no idea what she was talking about), and about Jack's "exclusing" science fiction club.

Piper didn't even realize the class had ended when it did, the bell for lunch ringing loudly in their ears. Walking out together, Jack spoke up.

"You know, I think Raf and Miko would love to meet you. If you're not sitting with anyone today."

Piper's eyes lit up, but then remembered it was Friday. She had senior release; only study halls for the remainder of the day. Which meant she could leave and go home early. She always went home early on Friday's; Her father was at the bar, mother at work, and Chloe at school. She'd have the house to herself for a couple of hours.

"I'd love to, Jack," Piper offered a small smile. "But I'm afraid I can't. I've got to get home and get some things done before picking up my sister."

Jack looked a little disappointed but nodded. "Okay. Well, I'll see you around then."

"See ya," Piper said as she turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, she heard Jack calling her.

"Piper, wait!"

Piper whipped around as he came running up with a small, folded piece of paper in his hands.

"This is my cell number. Feel free to text me if Vince gets after you again. Or, if you just wanna talk." he said with a smile.

Piper was touched by his gesture. Taking the piece of paper, she quickly plugged in his number into her contacts and sent a quick message. Jack smiled as he saved her number and they parted ways.

Leaving the school yard, Piper sighed as she started her walk home. Just for an hour, she had a glimps of what it was like to have a real high school life. Happy she made a new friend, her heart sank as she walked up to her house. Empty as always, she let herself in with the spare key. Too much negativity hung in the air. And Piper had had enough.

She didn't know where she would take Chloe, but she knew the child couldn't stay here. Setting her bag by the door, Piper quickly began getting to work. After all, she only had an hour and a half to pack for her sister, and herself.


	2. Chapter 2

After a while, Piper stared at her handy work. She had managed to find an old wagon in the messy garage and had hooked it up to her fold-up bike. Being handy did have it's advantages. She had managed to shove tons of cloths into the backpack on her back before filling the wagon with typical camping supplies. An old tent, two sleeping bags and pillows, a huge cooler full of drink and food, a backpack of cloths for Chloe. Piper had just placed all of her tools into her tool box and set them in the wagon as well. The cube she had been working on was placed gingerly into her messanger bag. She managed to pack up all of her make up, hair brushes, tooth brushes, and even some toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It was almost time to leave by the time she was done. Scanning their shared bedroom once more, she quickly grabbed one of Chloe's art kits and her teddy bear, knowing the child would not sleep without it. Stuffing these final things into the already very full wagon, Piper locked the house and tucked the key into her pocket before mounting her large bike and taking off.

Pedaling seemed difficult for her, as her previous injuries flared with each pedal. The added weight of the wagon didn't help her cause, but Piper knew she had to continue, for Chloe's sake. It happened upon luck that she arrived just as the final bell for the elementary school rang. Kids all rushed out of the building into the waiting arms of their parents, presenting art projects and school work. Piper felt the tears stinging her eyes again. Why couldn't they have this type of life?

"Hiya Piper!"

The teen jumped and choked the tears back as the blonde child rushed up.

"Hey kid!" Piper smiled, gently swinging off the bike. "How was school?"

"Amazing!" Chloe couldn't contain her excitement. Waving a picture in front of the girl's face, "I drew this for you!"

Hesitant, Piper took the drawing from the girl's hands and couldn't help but smile. There was stick-figure Piper and Chloe holding hands under the sun and rainbow. Both girls were surrounded by a heart and the words, "I luv U Piper" written in green crayon.

"It's beautiful, Chloe!" Piper gently folded the drawing and placed it into her backpack. Chloe was suddenly shy, but smiling. It wasn't until Piper swung the bag painfully back onto her back did the child finally see the wagon.

"What's all of this?"

Piper smiled and ruffled the curly mess of hair before her. "I thought it would be a fun idea for us to go on a camping trip! I've got everything for us."

"Even Patches?"

Piper smiled. "Yes, Patches the bear gets to come alone as well."

Chloe smiled and quickly squeezed herself into the wagon with everything else. Once Piper heard no more movement, she turned, wincing at the pain in her chest.

"Ready?"

The excited child nodded and settled herself in for the ride. Piper turned to begin pedaling only to be halted. Holding onto the handle bars was Vince, sneering at her.

"Well well, I didn't think you the camping type," he said. "Where are you heading?"

Not wanting Chloe to get upset, Piper did everything in her power to keep cool. "Camping out with my sister."

Vince looked over the teen's shoulder to the curly blonde girl in the back. "I didn't know you had a sister! So young too!"

Piper could hear Chloe burrowing as far into the wagon as she could. Piper's temper started to boil; this oaf was scaring her sister. And what did he mean, "so young"?

"Yes. Now if you don't mind, we have to get going."

Piper attempted to go around the larger teen but was halted again with him holding the handle bars steady.

"Where are you going so quickly?"

Piper heard her sister start whimpering. Chloe had been exposed to enough negativity to understand when something wasn't right. Just before Piper could lash out in defense, a voice popped up.

"You just don't give up, do you?"

Turning, Piper couldn't help but feel relieved when Jack came into view. Tagging beside him, the teen recognized, was Raf and Miko, both sharing Jack's annoyed expression.

"You don't have teachers to help you out here, Darby," Vince sneered. "And your friends don't seem to hold much of a threat."

"Oh yea?" Miko said folding her arms. "There are three of us, and only one of you. I suggest you beat it before we get other adults involved."

Vince glared between Piper and the other three, all while Chloe's whimpers sounded loudly. With a final look at Piper, the bully seemed to give up. Just as he was walking away, Piper couldn't help but notice the foot that reached out to swipe the wagon's wheel, making to topple the child inside. With a swift move, and without thinking, Piper stuck her foot out to catch his. Vince tripped and landed face first in the sidewalk. Jack, Miko, and Raf couldn't help but laugh out loud at the bully. Now angered, and embarrassed, Vince rose to his feet and stumbled off, not bothering to look back. Piper's anger melted when she turned her head to see Chloe laughing and holding onto her school bag. The teen sighed and turned back toward the others.

"Thanks, Jack," Piper smiled.

"Not a problem," the dark haired boy grinned. "We watched him cross the road and decided to follow him."

"I'm glad you guys did," Piper turned to the other two. "Thank you."

"Don't sweat it," Miko piped up. "Jack's told us about you."

Raf nodded shyly. Glancing at the child in the wagon, he smiled. "You must be Chloe. I'm Raf."

Chloe smiled and waved shyly before jumping out of the wagon. She quickly hid behind Piper and clung to her leg, all while earning an "Awww" from Miko. Sighing, Piper gently stepped off the bike and picked up the small child, biting back the pain she felt in her arms and rib cage.

"I'm afraid she's a little shy," Piper smiled kindly at Raf. "Once she gets to know you, you'll never get her to stop talking."

Raf nodded, understanding the feeling all too well.

Piper gently squeezed the child before setting her back into the wagon. "I'm afraid we have to get going. I promised Chloe a camping trip."

Jack nodded. "We have to get going too. Hopefully we can hang more soon."

Piper nodded and they all parted ways. She couldn't hide her shock when she saw the motorcycle Jack rode. Sleek and blue, it looked like it was a fast ride. Raf was seen climbing into the passenger's seat of a yellow camaro with black racing stripes. Miko, oddly enough, climbed into a large looking van, simulating a hummer. Piper couldn't believe the color was army green. Not many vehicles like that around. Once the three were out of sight, Piper began pedaling as hard and fast as she could. She didn't stop until she was at the edge of town. Sighing, the teen couldn't help but feel like she was running out of ideas. Where would they go now? Not much out this way, never mind a good place to bring a child. Shaking off her anxiety, she finally made the left turn. Just a mile outside of the town was an abandoned scrap yard. It was where she would scavenge for parts and metals. She was sure nobody would find them there.

"Where are we?" the small voice made itself known. Piper grinned.

"We're almost where we are going camping. Just sit tight kid."

Piper sped up once the old scrap yard came into view, anxious to get the child out of the wagon and set up before it got dark.

"This is where I go to get the metals for my work," Piper said.

Chloe's eyes lit up and she smiled. "You're really taking me?"

Piper sighed. She had promised the small child she would take her to the scrap yard when she was older. She was glad this worked to her favor. "I sure am. And we are gonna spend a lot of time here!"

Chloe cheered as Piper pulled into a small clearing, deep within the scrap yard's piles of busted cars and broken appliances. Piper quickly unloaded everything, surprised when Chloe wanted to help pitch the tent and learn. Once the tent was pitched and a fire was made, Piper quickly got to work making a small hot dog dinner for the two. Chloe's innocence shown through, not catching on to the fact Piper was trying to protect them from their own parents. After the raging fire had died down and enough hot dogs and s'mores were consumed, both girls gazed up at the stars. It was amazing how many could be seen. The town of Jasper wasn't huge, but enough light emanating to block out a lot of the natural lights in the sky. Piper could see soft swirls of colors that formed the galaxies overhead. For once, the teen seemed at peace. No fighting parents, beautiful stars, and her sister was safe in her arms.

"Piper?"

The teen snapped out of her thoughts when the child spoke up. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to ever go home."

The sentence was simple, yet it crushed the teens heart. "I know. I don't either."

"Why don't we run away?"

Piper just stared at her sister. For someone so small, she seemed to catch on quickly.

"We will see," Piper sighed. "For now, I think it's time we get some sleep."

With slight protest from Chloe, Piper managed to get them both into the tent and down for the night. It wasn't long before the younger of the two fell into a deep sleep. Piper, like most nights, found sleep evading her. Her mind swirled with what the child had said. It only justified her thoughts, but it was still heart breaking. Piper stared at her sister for at least another hour before drifting off into an uneasy sleep herself.

* * *

Piper suddenly snapped awake, barely choking back the scream. Looking frantically around by the light of her cellphone, she saw she was in a tent with Chloe. The time read 1:29 AM; way early from the morning. Piper tried to suppress the shivers that ran through her body, with little success. Her nightmare reminded her of her struggles. She watched herself get beaten by a drunken father again, the stings in her body helping to seal the memory. Quietly, so not to disturb Chloe, Piper slipped out of the tent, zipping it behind her. She stared at the sky and tried deeply to breathe in the air around her. Most would find the smell of rusting metal repulsive, but Piper loved it. It smelled like peace, reminding her of the hobby that had helped block the pain for so long now.

Her cellphone vibrated in her hand suddenly. Cautious, she unlocked the screen to see a text from Jack.

 _"At 1:30?"_ Piper thought. She quickly opened and read the message.

 **U up?**

Shaking away her thoughts about coincidences, she responded.

 **How did U know?**

It wasn't twenty seconds before the response came back.

 **Where R U?**

Confused, and starting to get a little worried, she hesitantly replied.

 **The old scrap yard. Y?**

Piper waited for a response for a bit but did not receive any. Fear started to cling to her. Something wasn't right.

The sound of shifting metal made her jump. Piper looked around, suddenly aware of a sinking feeling. Her phone suddenly vibrated again, Jack finally responding.

 **Stay there. Stay with Cloe. Do not leave. We are coming.**

Ignoring the misspelling of her sister's name, Piper decided that now would be a good time to wake her sibling. Rushing back into the tent, she ignored the almost crippling pain in her body as she gently shook the younger one awake.

"Chloe!" Piper half whispered. "Wake up."

The child moaned, clearly sleepy, and sat up.

"What is it?"

"Get dressed, quickly," Piper said, simultaneously pulling out a red and white striped sweater, and blue jeans for the child.

"Why?" the groggy response came.

"Just be quick," Piper said gently. While her sister changed, Piper quickly rolled up their sleeping gear and rushed it outside, packing things up into their wagon and swinging her back pack onto her back. Chloe emerged from the tent, dressed and hugging her patched up teddy bear, also her bag on her back.

"What's going on, Piper?" sleep was still laced in the small voice.

Piper couldn't answer. She didn't really understand what was happening either. After the tent was packed up, Piper could hear the sound of a motorcycle roaring down the road. Chloe shivered with the cool night air and pressed herself against Piper. Piper stroked the child's hair as Jack's motorcycle came into view. Piper expected that. What she didn't expect was the camaro and the hummer to follow suit. Jack stepped off of the bike and removed his helmet, while Miko and Raf jumped out as well.

"Jack? What's going on?" Piper said.

"No time to explain. We have to take you two home. It's not safe."

Piper felt Chloe tighten her grip on her leg. Piper glanced to her briefly, looking as big brown eyes began watering again. Turning back to Jack, she spoke.

"We can't go home, Jack."

"This isn't up for debate," Jack said hastily.

"Jack's right! It's not safe!" Miko said.

"There is nothing in this junk yard," Piper said. "And we are not going home. Period."

Jack sighed, clearly exasperated. "We don't have time to argue."

"Piper?" Chloe suddenly spoke up. All eyes were on the small child, who now had tears running down her face. "I don't want to go back! It's scary!"

Chloe was now full on sobbing, which shocked the other three. Piper sighed and knelt down to hug her.

"We are not going back there, okay? I promise."

Piper looked up at Jack, ready to snap at him but noticed his expression. He was clearly confused, but his eyes told her that he seemed to understand something was up. Quietly, he knelt down and placed a hand gently on Piper's shoulder.

"I don't know what's going on at home, but you two can't stay here. So what do we do?"

Piper just shook her head, completely at a loss for words. She didn't know if she should explain the situation to these people she barely knew.

A small revving from the camaro broke the silence. A string of beeps emitted out of it. Piper blinked as she listened.

 _He is here._

Piper didn't have time to wonder how she understood the strange sounds pouring from the car when a huge pile of scrap seem to explode. Chloe screamed as Piper quickly scooped the child up in her arms. There, in front of the teen, stood a huge robot. It's red eyes glanced down at it's dark gray body shook off the scrap from it's hiding spot. Chloe buried her face into Piper's neck, wishing that the scary robot demon would just go away. Piper quickly shielded Chloe from the monster, not really having a plan to fall back on.

"Scrap!"

The next voice Piper didn't recognize, but soon watched the three vehicles behind her suddenly whir and change. There, in their place, stood three more robots, each one matching the colors from the vehicles. Piper glanced at Jack, trying hard to not scream. Jack grinned sheepishly.

"Remember my exclusive science fiction club?"

The obvious female bot quickly leaped into action, punching the silver bot in the head. The hulking green bot also rushed forward, tackling the red eyed bot to the ground. The yellow one formed a cannon from it's hand and started shooting. Miko rushed forward and grabbed the wagon.

"We might want to get out of here!" she exclaimed. Piper nodded and started running back toward the entrance with them, Chloe still sobbing into her neck. The three rushed and hid behind the entrance gate, watching the scene unfold. The colored bots were hard at war, and quickly making scrap metal out of the fourth. The fourth put up a fight, even managing a few swipes here and there. Chloe cried in Piper's ear. The teen did her best to keep her composure for her younger sister's sake, but found she was running out of calm. With a few more crashes, two more identical gray bots crashed into the yard. The colored ones continued the fight, but quickly became over-come. The female bot quickly nodded toward the green bot, and transformed back into the motorcycle. Driving herself, she quickly halted in front of Jack.

"We need to go," she said quickly. "It's not safe to confront them with you all here."

Jack quickly pulled his helmet over his head and climbed on. The green bot was next, after taking out two at once finally. Transforming back into the huge off road vehicle, he pulled up next to Miko and Raf.

"Get in. Bee's gonna hold him off!"

Miko and Raf quickly climbed in, tossing the wagon behind them, and the large hummer sped off. Piper looked back at the yellow bot struggling in a grappling match. She knew this was crazy. She didn't know what she was doing. She knew Chloe was in danger. But here was this yellow bot-thing risking his own gears to help save her sister and her self. That was good enough for her. Rushing to Jack, she quickly shoved her younger sister into his arms.

"Piper-?"

"Get her out of here. Do not bring her home, do not leave her. Get her out of here, now!"

"Piper?" Chloe wailed. Jack took off his helmet, ready to slip it over the child's head.

"You be good for Jack. He's a friend," Piper glanced at the teen with a look reading "Protect her or I will kill you".

After a quick kiss on her sister's forehead, Piper ran back toward the yellow bot. Jack slipped the helmet over Chloe's head, not willing to risk the smaller child being in the danger zone, and sped off on the motorcycle bot, listening to Chloe scream Piper's name.

Piper scrambled around the scrap yard she had visited a hundred times before. Without thinking, the teen started looking around. Finding an old rag, she carefully looked around for something, anything to house it in. Spotting an old oil can, Piper quickly sloshed around the contents, determining that it was still partially full. Stuffing the rag into the can, she quickly looked for something to ignite it with.

With a crash, the yellow bot had been pushed to the ground, quickly loosing the grappling match. Beeping grunts and groans emitted from the pinned bot, and Piper saw his blue eyes holding a steady glaring gaze. Suddenly spotting an old lighter, Piper snatched it up and began flicking it. It wouldn't hold a flame for more than a second.

"Come one!" she muttered to herself, trying a few more times to light the rag. After five tries, she finally got the rag burning. Dropping the lighter, she rushed toward where the two large robots were grappling. She scanned over the red-eyed bot, looking for anything place that would be effective. Noticing a small part between it's body and it's arm that was a bunch of wires. Taking careful aim, Piper mustered all of her strength and threw the can. She cried out in pain, her rib cage suddenly became inflamed with pain, causing her to drop to the ground. The oil can hit it's mark and wedged itself between the cables. The red eyed bot suddenly hesitated, letting the yellow bot push him off. The gray bot stumbled back, suddenly aware of something hot under it's arm. The yellow bot looked down and saw Piper crippled in pain on the ground.

 _You need to move!_

Piper glanced up at the yellow bot. "I can't..."

It happened quickly. The yellow bot suddenly scooped Piper up, causing the teen to scream in pain and fear. Next thing she knew, they were outside of the scrap yard, just as a loud explosion sounded. The yellow bot turned, and they both watched as the gray bot burst into many pieces, seemingly destroyed. Piper panted in the robot's hand, trying to relax her heart and her pain. She felt herself being lowered onto the ground, where she found she couldn't keep her footing. Stumbling onto her knees and clutching her ribs, she glanced up.

The bot's blue eyes, the same ones that held so much anger and determination, were now large and soft. They stared at each other for a moment before Piper dared to speak.

"Thank you."

 _No problem._

Piper was completely aware that all she heard were beeps, whistles, and clicks. But she was surprised that she could translate. It wasn't mores code after all.

 _You're hurt._

Piper gasped. Touching her face, she realized that her sweat had caused a lot of her make up to rub off. "That wasn't that big robot's fault." she said quietly.

 _The younger one didn't know?_

"No. I hid it from her. It's a long story." Piper was sure that she was going insane. She was talking to a 50 foot robot. "I'm Piper."

 _Bumblebee._

"Nice to meet you," Piper said.

 _Thanks for the save._

"No problem," Piper mimicked with a small grin. Her amusement melted as emotions rushed to her. "Where is Chloe? My sister?"

 _With Arcee and Jack. They will care for her._

Piper nodded. "You need to take me to her."

 _That's the plan. Can you stand?_

Piper tried to push herself up, but found her injuries to be too much. She collapsed back onto the ground with a defeated "Ow". Bumblebee took a step back before transforming back into the camaro. He spun gently around and opened the passengers side door toward Piper.

 _Climb in. I'll drive._

Piper hesitated before using the door to pull herself into the vehicle. Once she fastened her seat belt, the camaro gently sped off away from the town.

"Thank you," Piper sighed, leaning back in the seat.

 _Don't thank me yet._ Bumblebee said _You've got a nasty black eye, bruises on your arms, and at least two broken ribs._

Piper stared at the radio. "You can tell?"

 _I'm a huge robot alien, one that transforms into a human vehicle, and that's what you're surprised about?_

Giving the snarkiness a look, Piper decided to stare out the window, deciding it best to drop the topic. Sleep was starting to over take her; the pain in her body causing her to feel sick. The radio clicked on suddenly, playing a slow song Piper didn't recognize.

 _It will be a little bit before we arrive. I'm driving slower so I don't hurt you._ Bumblebee beeped. _I have already contacted the others. Chloe is fine. Scared, but fine. Miko is playing with her._

Piper nodded, no longer having strength to respond. The heater suddenly turned on, the comforting feeling washing over her and easing her aches. Before she could give another thought, her eyes closed, finally unable to keep up her painful fight.


	3. Chapter 3

_Piper? Are you awake?_

Piper wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping for, but was sure it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes. She couldn't help but feel soothed by the gentle beeping and clicking that Bumblebee produced. Glancing out the window, she saw nothing but the vast desert with a few of the canyon rock formations. With a bit of a jostle, she suddenly realized that they were riding off road... straight toward a massive canyon rock.

 _Don't be alarmed._

Piper bit back the scream, clutching her injured body in fear as the canyon rock suddenly parted at the base. Suddenly there was a passing through a very well lit tunnel, and entered a massive cavern. Computers swarmed the place, but what caught Piper's attention was the red and white bot tending them. He glanced her way with a stern expression, as if trying to hide slight bit of discontent. She felt like she shouldn't be surprised at this point, but she couldn't help the shocked look that crossed her face. There was a "second floor" as best as she could describe. A couch and a TV were hooked up. Jack sat on the couch beside Raf, both pausing from a video game when they entered.

Piper looked the other way, not wanting them to see her bruised face. She was met with the gaze of the motorcycle bot, who gave a small but steady smile. Bumblebee soon came to a stop steadily. Opening his door, Piper hesitantly unbuckled her belt. Taking a breath, Piper steadied her self with the door and slowly climbed out. Bumblebee waited causally for her to get her footing and keep standing before transforming.

"What took you so long?" the female bot said. "You're always boasting about being the fastest of us all."

 _Didn't want to over whelm her._

Piper turned hearing heavy footsteps. The hulking green bot came into view. Behind him, stood the tallest robot, blue and red paint. His gentle blue eyes were the same color as every single one of them. Where they related? Could robots even be related?

"I'm glad you arrived here safely," the red and blue bot spoke, his voice deep and calm. "I heard there was a fierce battle at your camp site."

Piper swallowed her fear and spoke. "Thank you for sending your friends to help us."

"It's what we do, kid," the motorcycle bot spoke up.

"Even if we don't always agree," mumbled the red and white bot. Piper winced a bit at the tone.

 _Don't mind Ratchet. He's kinda a stick in the mud._

"I heard that."

Piper started feeling her head swimming, but blinked away the sensation.

"Where is my sister?"

"Your younger sibling is sound asleep in one of our other rooms. Miko has been keeping an eye on her," the red and blue bot said.

"Not asleep anymore." Piper turned at Miko's voice. The teen was carrying the child, who was clutching her teddy bear in her arms. Chloe's eyes were watery and she was whimpering, but she was unharmed. "She had a bad dream."

Piper's heart ached for her sibling. With a soft grin, she spoke. "Chloe."

The child lifted her head. Her eyes got bigger and tears started falling. Wriggling out of Miko's grip, Chloe ran toward her sister, abandoning her teddy bear in the process. "PIPER!"

Chloe quickly closed the gap between them and crashed herself into her sister's arms. Piper ignored her pain and dropped to her knees to hug the child tightly. Thank goodness she was alright.

"Shh," Piper whispered. "It's okay. I'm here, I'm here."

Chloe's whimpers slowly subsided at the comforting sounds and touches from her sister. Piper continued to murmur for a few more moments before looking up at the female bot. "Thank you, for saving my sister."

"It's what I do," she replied.

"Now for introductions," the green bot said. "You met Ratchet. I'm Bulkhead."

"Name's Arcee," the female said. "And you've met Bumblebee."

"My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We are autonomus robotic organisms, from the planet Cybertron. We battle the forces of the Decepticons, the robots you encountered tonight. Their mission is to extinguish the human race in a battle for Energon, the life force that keeps up alive. We work in secret, protecting the humans at all costs."

Piper nodded in understanding and gently pushed Chloe off of her. The child gasped. "Piper? What happened to your face?"

All eyes were on Piper as she gingerly touched the exposed bruise. Glancing up at Miko, who shared a horrified expression, she gently pushed Chloe in her direction. "Can you take her back to bed, please? She should fall asleep quickly now," turning to her sister, she smiled. "Don't worry about it. Just go to sleep and be good for Miko, just like a babysitter. I will be here when you wake up."

Chloe nodded and trotted back toward Miko, who took her in her arms, scooped up the bear, and started down the hallway with an "I'll be back" expression. Once they were out of sight, Piper suddenly became aware of Jack and Raf beside them.

"How did you get that bruise? Did you get hurt during the fight?"

"No," Piper sighed. She started rising to her feet again, only to have sharp pains stab her side and head. Her vision became dizzy and she suddenly couldn't keep her balance. She didn't have time to speak as she felt herself drop to the ground, laying flat on her stomach. Piper faintly heard the beeps and clicks of her new yellow friend.

 _Ratchet! She's seriously hurt._

"Hey!" Jack said gently kneeling beside her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Piper was too dizzy from the pain to answer, her head swimming from all of the events that had ended up taking place that night. She felt Jack's arms try to wrap around her waist to lift her back up. One touch toward her ribs, and Piper could no longer hold back her voice. She cried out in pain and curled as best as she could on the floor, wincing and fighting tears back.

"What the scrap!?" Piper heard Arcee exclaim. Piper refused to unwind, images of her drunken father suddenly filling her mind. She didn't understand why her mind's memories were rushing for her, but she fought the tears that threatened to fall.

"What happened?!" Piper mentally cursed as she heard Miko's frantic voice.

"She just fell," Raf said. "Don't lift her."

"Get her on my table!" Ratchet's voice held a typical doctor vibe. Piper opened her eyes when she felt familiar mechanical fingers gently slide her into the palm of his hand. Glancing up, she could barely make out the concerned face of Bumblebee as he gently lifted her toward the computers where Ratchet was working. Piper barely let out a whimper when she was gently placed on a table, not wanting to leave the comfort of the young bot.

Ratchet started an internal scan, beginning with her head and working his way down to her toes.

"What is the diagnosis?" Optimus's voice said.

"She is suffering from a minor concussion, multiple abrasions from her face, arms, and sides, three broken ribs, and one cracked rib," Ratchet didn't even bother to hide the concern in his voice.

"How did she get hurt?" Bulkhead questioned. Turning to Bumblebee, he continued. "Did she get hurt in battle?"

 _No. She stayed clear, and I got her away safely._

"These injuries are not completely fresh," Ratchet interjected. "They are at least a day, if not two old."

"That's impossible," Jack said. "We saw her yesterday afternoon and she did not have a bruise over her face like that."

"She wore makeup," Miko sighed. "Duh."

Piper's head was still hurting, but she was slowly regaining her vision. She could faintly make out the medic, who was continuing his work. When it hurt too bad to keep her eyes open, she closed them again and settled for listening.

"What can be done for her?" Jack's voice piped up.

"The concussion is already fading, and bruises will heal," Ratchet said. "Her rib cage, however, will take much longer. She'll have to be bandaged up for a while. Just until the bones heal."

"What caused her to collapse?"

"It would appear exhaustion," the medic gently removed some medical tape from a kit on his table. Gently he pushed Piper's shirt up past her rib cage, careful not to harm her anymore. He couldn't help the grimace when he came into contact with the black and blue rib cage as he gently started taping her up. First patches to act like a bandage were applied, being sure to cover every broken bone he could find.

"Bumblebee," Ratch said. "Can you help elevate her upper body so I can secure everything in place?"

 _What if I hurt her?_

"Just be gentle," Ratchet said. Once Piper was propped up, the medic began wrapping the medical tape around the teen's body, being sure to secure everything in place. Once the tape was cut, Ratchet started searching through the medical kit again. Before Bumblebee could lower the teen back down, he heard Raf clear his throat. Glancing at his charge, his eyes softened when the young lad held up a pillow from their lounge area. Bumblebee wasted no time in picking it up and placing it under Piper's head, as he laid her gently back on the table. Ratchet hid a smile; he had always had a soft spot for the young genius.

"What now Ratchet?" Arcee piped up.

"I'm going to inject her with Toradol, a strong anti-inflammatory and a pain killer. When she is stable, she can start taking regular ibuprofen pills."

Ratchet readied the small needle, and carefully injected it into Piper's shoulder. The teen winced, feeling the small prick. Looking up at the medic, they locked eyes for a moment. For the first time since her arrival, Ratchet gave her a look of sympathy, followed by a small, apologetic smile. Piper smiled and closed her eyes again.

"The pain medicine should start working soon," the medic said. "For now, we let her rest."

Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee decided it would be good to get their charges to bed, and began ushering them down the hallway, promising that Piper would be okay. Once they were out of sight, Optimus turned toward Ratchet, who was typing up a short medical chart for the young teen.

"Can you determine the cause of the injuries, old friend?" the leader spoke quietly, so not to disturb their patient.

Ratchet turned, a slightly angry expression on his face. Pinching the bridge of his "nose", he sighed. "There are many causes here," he explained. "Her concussion and her rib cage were hit with a blunt object, while her bruises on her arms indicate she was grabbed roughly."

"Someone had attacked her," it wasn't a question. Optimus glanced at the now peacefully sleeping Piper.

"Viciously," Ratchet sighed. "What I don't understand is why she didn't seek medical attention."

"Just as we defend our team mates, humans will defend loved ones."

The medic nodded. "You think this had to do with defending the youngling."

Optimus nodded, glancing down at the teenager. "Regardless, they must stay here. Until we can determine what they were doing out there, and if they are at risk of being harmed by the Decepticons, they are to both remain here at the base."

Ratchet rolled his eyes. "Great. More humans." but even he couldn't contain the small smile that formed across his face plates.

Optimus couldn't help but chuckle at the old medic. "Get some rest, old friend. I will watch over her."

Ratchet nodded and placed a bottle of water down from his med bay. "If she wakens, make sure she drinks some water," and with that last piece of advice, he headed down the long hallway. Once he was out of sight, the leader turned to the computers, re-reading the medical report Ratchet had typed.

"Optimus?"

The leader barely heard Piper speak. The leader's eyes softened as the teen tried to sit up.

"Be easy, young one," Optimus said. He reached for the water and carefully unscrewed the top off. Piper watched in amazement as something so large could delicately handle something so small. "Drink," he said calmly.

Suddenly realizing how dry her throat was, Piper gratefully accepted the water and took a few sips of the cool liquid. After she was done, Piper handed the bottle back to the Autobot leader, who gingerly replaced the cap.

"Thank you," Piper said.

"Do not thank me," Optimus smiled. "Ratchet wrapped you up and tended your wounds. You have an extensive set of injuries."

Piper sighed. "I know."

Sensing the anguish in the teen's voice, Optimus knelt down to become eye level with her.

"May I ask what you were doing out at the scrap yard?"

Piper looked up at him. While she didn't know him well, she seemed to sense there was no denying a respected person... Or bot.

"It's a long story," she warned.

"We have time," Optimus said with an steady expression.

Piper fiddled with her fingers, suddenly unable to look the leader in the face. "I took Chloe to the junk yard for a few days at least. I use that junk yard to find pieces and scrap to make and invent things," Piper glanced up at the leader, who nodded for her to continue. "Chloe doesn't fully understand; she's just a little girl. But our family is broken. Our mother works constantly, and is on some sort of drug all the time. Our father lost his job three years ago, and has since then become an alcoholic. They always fight, and they abandoned Chloe and myself. We share a roof over our heads, but they do nothing to care for her. I have been caring for Chloe since she was two. It's all she's ever known."

Optimus closed his eyes briefly, processing everything Piper had just said. Looking back at her, Piper was now sitting cross legged and fiddling with her shoes.

"My father did this to me," she said quietly. "I had gone downstairs to retrieve a tool I needed, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I hid it the best I could from Chloe. She didn't need to know she was with someone who was turning physically abusive. I couldn't go to the doctor because that meant leaving Chloe home with them. I did what I had to do to protect her," she glanced back up at the leader. "She's all I have left."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

Piper closed her eyes, fighting back tears, and nodded. "It's the least I could do."

The teens eyes snapped open when she felt herself being gently scooted into the leader's hands. Optimus grabbed the pillow and the bottle of water and gently carried Piper to the couch in the "lounge" area. He placed the pillow down and gently laid the teen down. Piper felt her body ease into the surprisingly comfortable couch as drowsiness overtook her again. Taking another sip of water, she was shocked when Optimus had plucked up her own sleeping bag up. Turning gently, Piper saw the wagon sitting there, with all of her and Chloe's things. The leader un-zipped the green sleeping bag, turning it into a blanket, before draping it over Piper.

"Get some sleep," Optimus said. "You, and your sister, are safe here."

His baritone voice soothed Piper, and she closed her eyes once again. Optimus turned back toward the computers to work. As he stood at the tables again, a small voice reached his audio receptors.

"Thank you."

Optimus turned just in time to see Piper fall into a deep sleep on the couch. Smiling to himself, he continued to monitor the screens, looking for any more signs of Deceptions for the remainder of the long night.


End file.
